LABOUR leader Jeremy Corbyn has demanded more cash for the ‘under-funded’ NHS and social care service during a visit to Birmingham.

The opposition leader met health service staff at George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton before meeting officials from the Unison trade union in Birmingham.

He was visiting the region ahead of Labour’s NHS campaign day during which the party will be highlighting the pressures faced by hospitals, social care and mental health services.

Mr Corbyn said: “Well done all those that work in that hospital but they are under-funded, they have problems releasing elderly patients who need social care because the social care facilities are over-stretched and not available to them.

“The concerns there are frail, elderly patients who’ve had the necessary hospital treatment then need to go home, or go into a care facility of some sort.

“It’s not available, there isn’t anyone to care for them because the local authority’s budget is so stretched, so they stay in hospital longer.

“It costs the hospital £1,500 to £2,000 per week.

Jeremy Corbyn and shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth (left) talk to clinical lead for surgery Mr Bala Piramanayagam (right) at George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton

“It stops somebody else going into hospital, it may delay an operation for sombody else and it increases the cost and misery for everybody.”

Mr Corbyn said: “It’s not the fault fo the older person who is stuck in hospital, it’s the fault of a Government that under-funds local authorities who want to provide the social care that is necessary.

“It’s a social care problem across the whole of Britain.”

The Chancellor Phillip Hammond was widely criticised for ignoring the social care crisis in his autumn statement. Even the Conservative Local Government Association chairman Lord Porter described his failure to mention social care as ‘unacceptable’.

Councils and health service leaders were hoping for support as the demand and costs of social care are rising sharply.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “The Government has committed to a £10 billion funding increase each year by 2020/2021 for the NHS, which is dealing with more patients than ever before whilst improving care.

“This includes £4 billion extra this year, as well as more money for building new hospitals.

“Many councils are providing high-quality social care services within existing budgets so we are helping spread good practice, backed by access to up to £3.5 billion extra by 2020.”